This invention relates to the field of DNA plant repair mechanisms, stimulation and function. In nature numerous conditions occur which challenge a plants life and continuation. In its DNA plants have response plans to physical damage for repairing wounds that result in the healing of wounds and continuation of the plants life and species. This invention triggers a DNA plant repair response that causes plant failure and death.
Phragmites plants have numerous different DNA repair responses to damage of its stalk or rhizome and it differs by the position of the damage on the plant and is relative to its size. In addition, phragmites rhizomes are interconnected to additional rhizomes along underground runners, so the plant is not just one reed and rhizome but a series of connected reeds and rhizomes along runners. Several independent runners can house multiple rhizomes of differing size crisscrossing one another.
One example of a DNA repair activation is when phragmites are cut across its lower portion, in the above ground ⅓ of the plant reed that has grown into its seasonal height. The DNA activates an immediate repair response to the cutting which is to sucker at the rhizome underground as well as on the outside of the above ground ligules effectively duplicating the reed as the sucker forms another duplicate reed with a new rhizome underground. Essentially a new emerging reed, it remains unharmed by the cutting of the original stalk even if water enters into the stalk. The rhizome sucker continues the life of the phragmites by duplication of the rhizome and forming a new reed. If the plant is cut early in the season at the top ⅓ portion of the reed and is still growing into its normal seasonal height, the DNA repair instruction causes the top portion of what is left of the reed to spiral like a telescope, effectively sealing off the reed wound to the outside elements and continuing the growth from the center of the reed upward. When the top ⅓ of the phragmites plant is cut when the stalks are dry in winter and still have a live rhizome, the DNA instruction to the top dry portions of the stalk cause them to curl in a twist at the top and close off the opening in the reed to protect the stalk from getting anything inside.
When the phragmites are folded by hand in the center ⅓ portion of the plant, the DNA instruction and repair bypasses the rhizome suckering, and seals the ligule underneath the fold instead and sends a sucker at the outside juncture of said ligule effectively continuing the plants life. The DNA repair instruction is successful underneath the folded stalk if the internal components remain dry during the repair as the stalk is supple and maintains a seal or cover over the affected stalk. The DNA response repairs the ligule underneath the fold by sealing it closed and producing a sucker on the outside of the ligule of a new reed extension continuing the life of the reed. When cut across the middle third of the reed by hand in the lower portion of the middle third of the reed above four above ground ligules and just under the fifth ligule, the DNA plant repair instruction does not sucker at the rhizome, nor does it successfully send a sucker at the top ligule. Due to the unnatural open situation of the stalk created by the forced mechanical wound in said position, the plant DNA repair is not noticeable. The plant does not seal the ligule which is now exposed to the elements including rainwater reaching the internal components of the plant and the reed dies over time. If cut above the fourth above ground ligule and upwards, the upper ligules may sucker and begin to close off the opening. A second cutting is taken in one to two weeks later when they are easily visible and a few inches long to remove any upper suckered ligules to reach the optimal position for the plant DNA repair response which is inadequate for continuing the life of the reed resulting in death to the reed and its rhizome. The optimal position of the cut where one cut is sufficient to trigger the DNA repair response which cannot repair the wound and kills the rhizome is above four above ground ligules just below the fifth ligule which is in the lower range of the middle third of the reed portion. As it rains, water collects inside the reed which begins to rot any sucker forming at the ligule and the ligule itself, eventually causing death to the entire reed and rhizome. No new rhizome is produced from the cutting as the DNA repair response did not activate it and the plant begins to fail and is noticeable within one day as the stalk turns from green to brown from the top down over time and eventually dies in entirety. Rainwater seeps down to the rhizome portion and begins to collect inside the stalk.
As each rhizome can grow deep in the ground several feet deep in some sections even 6 feet has been published, there is not any prior known way to destroy the rhizome from above ground. The use of chemical herbicides are used to control phragmites growth but has been shown to be ineffective at killing the rhizome as the application needs to continue over several years, even 8 or more and kills native vegetation and is hazardous to aquatic wildlife and water resources. Mechanical means of control of removing the upper biomass but not causing death to the rhizome has been used in prior art however the recommended cutting of 4-12 inches Immediately triggers the DNA repair response to replicate the rhizome. New reed suckers emerge from the ground within a day and can grow to several feet in a few weeks so it is not an effective control method at all. In fact it can create even more rhizomes and increase the stand as several can sucker off the original rhizome. When the phragmites are cut 4-12 inches, for the bulk of the phragmites population existing this would fall in the lower ⅓ portion of the plant and is below three above ground ligules in both young and old phragmites on average for which the DNA repair response triggers the rhizome to sucker. As each and every phragmites reed must be cut in the proper position to trigger the individual DNA repair response to cause plant death by killing the rhizome, variegated cutting relative to stalk height is necessary to kill all of the crisscrossing runners and their attached rhizomes in the position noted in the invention.
When cut in the prior art 4-12 inch designation, the rhizome suckering would be unaffected by herbicide treatment as the rhizome is deep underground. It is merely a superficial treatment to temporarily remove the upper stalk of the phragmites reed but in a month they can grow several feet so they come right back from new rhizome suckers. If all of the reeds in a clone are cut to this 4-12 inch position, the DNA repair response with be varied as each stalk will naturally vary in height. In the stand there are also independent but crisscrossing runners. Some reeds can be a few inches tall and the average 6-12 feet or more all intermixed. As the DNA repair response for damage in the phragmites living reed varies by the positional height of damage relative to the full grown size of live phragmites reed a cutting across 4-12 inches will hit most in the range where the DNA response will duplicate the rhizome, spiral closed, produce numerous suckers or telescope. As the phragmites plant is not individual reeds and rhizomes but is a combined interconnected series of rhizomes attached to each other underground by runners, damaging one will not kill others that are connected but wounded in a different position relative to stalk height thus continuing the life of the plant. Once the phragmites DNA repair response triggers the rhizome sucker when cut below three above ground ligules in the lower ⅓ portion of the plant which on average the 4-12 inches falls within this range, the phragmites plant DNA will duplicate the rhizome immediately upon cutting and reemerge from the ground as a new normal reed. I have observed new rhizome sucker spikes within one day of cutting, especially rapid when growing in water. It is impossible to treat phragmites growing in the tidal zone with herbicide without poisoning the water and aquatic wildlife as well as seagrass and other underwater plants. Since wetlands recharge drinking water aquifers also herbicide would leach down into the drinking water supply. This invention is capable of killing the rhizome underground no matter how deep it resides because it controls the repair response of the DNA instruction through an above ground positional wounding. Each reed needs to be wounded as an individual, dependent on its respective size to stimulate the specific repair response that is inadequate for healing the wound.
Burning is also documented as a control method but has proved to be ineffective at killing the rhizome as the phragmites re-emerge because again the bottom third of the stalk being damaged by fire stimulates the DNA to create a rhizome sucker underground, which is again protected from the fire as a new phragmites reed emerges from the DNA repair response to the reed being damaged by fire and the rhizome remains unaffected underground. Flooding being noted in prior art as being effective at killing phragmites is a false claim because phragmites in fact grow year round in several feet of water across the globe. Phragmites actually turn water into land. As they advance into the water and dump their wrack, a buildup of sediments occurs due to phragmites wrack biomass integrating into the coastal sediments and excessive nutrients disabling the organisms of the water to effectively utilize all of the available degrading biomass and it starts to a mass along the coastline creating land. Especially vulnerable is juvenile shellfish which cannot survive the toxic algal blooms triggered by the buildup of phragmites biomass rotting along the coastlines. Phragmites grow quite prolifically in the water, which by its nature is continually flooded. In truth and in fact there has never been a viable way to kill a phragmites rhizome with mechanical cutting without repeated, environmentally detrimental chemical herbicide use unless you physically dig it entirely out of the ground. This would not be possible in native wetland areas as the entire wetland would have to be excavated damaging and removing the entire ecosystem.
Phragmites DNA repair responses are complex and unique for each type of damage that occurs. The reeds are connected underground by rhizomes so there are many intricate workings for the plants survival coded into its DNA. Damage to each area causes a differing repair which is planned for in the plants DNA. A straight cutting across an entire stand of reeds fails to produce one specific response as the damage would be experienced in differing areas of differing size reeds, signaling differing repairs. Stands house typically young plants a few inches and those over 12 feet tall all connected to one another underground by runners attached to their rhizomes. A cutting 4-12 inches across the entire stand produces suckers underground at the rhizomes so the plants life continues regardless if a few stalks are damaged beyond repair. It is for such reason that previous technology of simply cutting across the stand a foot or less is ineffective at killing the rhizomes because in fact it produces new rhizomes in the bulk of the stand.
This invention triggers a precise DNA repair response to cause plant death to an entire phragmites stand including all reeds and rhizomes. This invention was created to provide a non-chemical way to kill the phragmites reed and rhizome from above the ground during one growing season to end phragmites invasions with one precision cut on each reed in a stand. As each mature plant has a different size, this precise location appears to be above 4 above ground ligules just under the fifth ligule which is housed in the lower portion of the middle third of the reed. There has never been a way to kill the phragmites so as to not disturb native plants and aquatic animals with excavation, burning or chemical herbicide spraying. There is no prior known way to cut a phragmites to kill the rhizome or reed as is evidenced in numerous publications the need to continue treatment year after year as new reeds emerge from suckers off the rhizome from underground sometimes even several feet underground. Even the open stalk fails to produce a negative impact on the repair which triggers the rhizomes to sucker in the lower ⅓ of the plant because the instant the cut is made the rhizome DNA replication instruction occurs. As the phragmites grow into the water along the coastlines they are rapidly expanding through tidal movements of seeds, rhizome runners and are causing toxic algal blooms. The problem with using herbicide chemicals is that they are also toxic to wildlife, pollute our water resources and kill native coastal and aquatic plants. In the water it is impossible to use herbicides to kill the phragmites and many states are now banning such practice as aquatic vegetation loss is reaching 80% or more in many areas where herbicides were used.
This invention was created to kill the phragmites by killing the entire reed down through to killing the rhizome from above ground without the use of any chemicals or harm or disturbance to nature within the one season. After the cutting of this invention the reed begins to die immediately with results visable in one day. As the reed turns brown the stalk fills with water and nature elements help to degrade the stalk slowly and naturally. Borers make homes in the stalks and further help to decay the plant matter in a slow and naturally friendly way. Fungi increase due to the excess moisture collecting in the stalk. The rhizome appears to weaken and the roots diminish as it appears that the entire plant life is shutting down immediately after the cut if the cut is below the ligule of the first green leaf closest to the ground in the middle ⅓ of the plant and above four above ground ligules. If a higher position was cut in the middle ⅓, a sucker may be produced at the top ligule remaining first. We provide a second cutting a week or two after to remove any sucker that may have been generated at the top ligule to get the right position for plant failure. As there is wrack biomass that may obscure above ground ligules at the base the fourth observable ligule or the bottom range of the middle third appear to be the position where the cutting begins to shut down the plant upon cutting. Cutting into the lower ⅓ range is to be avoided as a DNA triggering to duplicate the rhizome occurs in this range and once the rhizome is duplicated the plants life will continue and you have to let the reed grow in a begin all over again. Numerous suckers may form at the rhizome so a visual count of four above ground ligules is especially helpful for finding the position of the cut wound position which bypasses the DNA repair instruction to sucker at the rhizome and moves the repair to the middle portion of the reed signaling a suckering at the top ligule. It is possible that above the fourth ligule is an optimal spot for damage as there appears to be no visable DNA repair response as the reed immediately begins to fail, not sucker and slowly dies including the rhizome. If cut higher, upper ligules may sucker but appear to become disabled due to rain entering the stalk over time, however there is no visable suckering on a ligule that is the fourth above ground ligule when cut below the fifth ligule.
As the stalk collects rain it dies in position in entirety. Rain collection does not affect repairs from wounds to the lower third portion and upper third of the plant as the repair instructions called for by the phragmites DNA repair response is adequate for repairing the plant. The upper portion can effectively seal itself and the lower portion bypasses the need to seal itself by producing a new rhizome sucker. Only the mid portion of the plant cut in the position noted causes failure and death to the reed and rhizome as it becomes exposed to rain internally.
Invasive plant species are destroying natural ecosystems. estuaries. coastlines and forests worldwide. With modern societies movement from one natural area to another by land, sea and air, seeds and plant material can be moved from one area where they grow naturally to another where they are not native indigenous plants. When in a foreign environment plants can become invasive and destructive to natural habitats. They invade by climbing over, shading, crowding out, twining, suffocating, smothering, displacing and out-competing native plants and destroy natural native vegetation. Phragmites also known as common reeds not only displace, smother and block light to underwater natural eelgrass, they kill mussel beds that are the filters of the sea and are the home of small plant and sea life that is the beginning of the food chain in the sea. Phragmites grow into mussel beds ripping them out of the sea floor. As they advance into the sea from the coastline, dead phragmites reed stalk biomass dump into the water creating excessive wrack plant debris that is not naturally normally occurring causing nutrient excess by rotting in the water. This excessive wrack is a main contributor to nutrient levels rising and cause water temperatures to rise as they rot and decay. Numerous gasses are formed in the wet rotting phragmites biomass in estuarine environments releasing continuously especially during rainfall when the rotting biomass is disturbed by the pressure of the rainfall beating on the rotting phragmites laden sediments. When the sea nutrient level becomes too high algal blooms occur to balance the sea life by releasing neurotoxins paralyzing aquatic wildlife resulting in massive die offs of fish, plants and other animal life including terrestrial animals that drink the water and crustaceons especially juveniles. Saxitoxin is one neurotoxin that is produced in brackish estuarine environments invaded by phragmites. When an algal bloom of dinoflagellates carrying saxitoxin occurs all aquatic life become paralyzed when swimming through the bloom or when they eat shellfish that is filtering the saxitoxin laden water, small fish or other small invertebrates. It appears that the shellfish not only play a role in filtering out the toxins from the water but also poisoning small invertebrates, fish, turtles, etc. that nibble on the flesh. Paralytic shellfish poisoning can cause death to terrestrial animals as well from them ingesting shellfish when a toxic algal bloom is occurring. Phragmites wrack is destructive to coastal integrity as it lays upon native plants. When the tides rise and deposit the phragmites wrack biomass on top of native plants and eelgrass it suffocates and burns the underlying plants. Until now there has been no effective removal method for phragmites common reed for large scale removal in sea areas. Chemical removal methods are toxic to fish and wildlife and not appropriate for the water which supports all life. Chemical herbicides also kill underwater plants and coastal native species and poison water aquifers that are recharged beneath the estuarine areas. Mowing to remove the upper reed biomass as a control for phragmites wrack biomass is not possible in the sea and is not an effective eradication method on land as well as it stimulates the DNA repair response to create a new rhizome sucker.
Rhizome sucker and continue to appear as new reeds within a day and mowing must be continued several times a year and actually increases stand density by producing more rhizomes and therefore new additional reeds. Burning is not possible in the sea and in large natural areas with native vegetation as it would burn the native vegetation, heat the water, kill shellfish and crustaceons destroying the entire ecosystem while not affecting the phragmites rhizome growth but actually stimulating a DNA repair response to duplicate the rhizomes.
Laying of plastic has been noted in prior art but in actuality is ineffective in killing the phragmites rhizomes as the rhizome spikes are pointy and pierce the plastic. Once cut to be covered with plastic the underground rhizomes are stimulated to sucker and send new reeds. If the plastic is thick enough it can smother the plant however in large scale invasions or in the water or in mixed native and phragmites areas would kill all plants both natural and non-native plus disturb any waterfowl or turtle nesting areas. In the sea it would be difficult to implement plastic barriers without disturbing the entire ecosystem, cause disturbance to soil and create excess nutrients from rotting biomass. Shellfish beds and crustaceons would be smothered by the plastic as well as nesting areas for turtles, waterfowl, bugs and other creatures. It would also not be effective to use plastic in tidal wetlands as the tides would disturb the plastic if the invasive entered the water table as well as mechanically disturb valuable shellfish beds and sea grasses.
After 20 years of study and trials my phragmites DNA plant repair manipulation to cause reed and rhizome death and rain collection method has proven to be an astounding new advancement in invasive species management and is effective for killing all reed type plants including but not limited to beach grass, japanese knotweed, phragmites and other open stalk reeds or plants. The invention is intended to be used on a large scale with no negative impact on natural native environments. The invention makes obsolete the use of chemical herbicides for invasive phragmites or other plant reed removal and replaces it with an instant non chemical solution for killing phragmites reeds and their rhizome in one season. This invention is gentle and nontoxic for marine and forest environments. It is a cost effective, rapid plant removal system suitable for any worldwide environment of land or sea. This invention is a planned human interruption by mechanically wounding the phragmites plant growth in a specific position to trigger a specific DNA repair response that is inadequate for maintaining the life of the plant after the wounding. To be specific, the cutting needs to be in the lower portion of the middle third of the live green phragmites reed, it needs to be made after the reed has grown into its full size for the season, the cutting needs to be above three or more above ground ligules preferably above the fourth above ground ligule just below the fifth ligule. If cut higher in the middle third of the reed, any upper ligule sucker should be removed within a few weeks to reach the optimal position for cutting which will be above three minimum above ground ligules. It is easy to find the position after any upper suckers as they will be just above the preferred cutting position which will not sucker.
If the cutting does not maintain three or more above ground ligules of the phragmites reed the rhizome will sucker and once it does the reed has duplicated and will form an entirely new reed continuing the life of the plant. The cutting should be just under the upper most ligule to leave a length of open reed above the remaining upper ligules to collect rainwater. If the cutting is just above the top ligule, the DNA repair may successfully repair the ligule as rain may be averted from collecting in the interior of the stalk by the structure of the partially closed ligule, and the top portion above the ligule will fall off eventually leaving a sealed stalk and a successful sucker at the ligule juncture may appear.
It is interesting to note that prior art dictates a cutting at 4-12 inches. On a normal phragmites reed 12 inches generally is below the three ligule threshold for cutting above which bypasses the rhizome suckering. Even on young shorter reeds the ligules in relation to the size appears to have the same positional relationship of the ligules to the stalk size further clarifying that the DNA structure repair planning is preprogrammed to respond to wounding at specific positions on the plant with differing repairs.
This invention is a planned human interruption and circumvention of the naturally occurring growth patterns, growth signals and repair planning signals planned for in the phragmites common reed plants cell structure and DNA. Creating a man-made water reservoir from the phragmites reed stalk to continually water-log itself and seedlings and activate beneficial destructive biological activity from this man-made creation makes chemical and biological agents obsolete for use in causing phragmites and other invasive reed death.